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Jennifer Howd had been building a mindfulness practice for a few years before taking on the challenge of her first nine-day silent meditation retreat. In this debut memoir, SIT, WALK, DON’T TALK: How I Survived a Silent Meditation Retreat, she chronicles the humorous–and often harrowing–adventures of the dueling inner voices that emerge in the silence: one intent on …

by Michael W. Taft I make my living as a meditation teacher. And in the last two months or so—as I’m sure you are perfectly aware—people have been freaking out. The election, the reality tv mogul, the surreal and terrifying descent of our country, has people profoundly worried and upset. As a teacher, they ask me what to do. How …

by Crystal Goh Over the last decade, the scientific community has produced numerous studies looking at how mindfulness practice influences our minds, our bodies and our behavior. Today, we are beginning to understand some of the physical and mental underpinnings of how mindfulness can change our lives. Mindfulness is considered to be multifaceted within the field of scientific research. For …

by Michael W. Taft During the “Calvin and Hobbes” part of childhood, I had a very clear career goal. My grade school teacher asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up, and the other children raised their hands, saying things like fireman, doctor, and archeologist. I, on the other hand, ardently desired to become a Viking. I …

by Daron Larson Scientific research into mindfulness practice and its potential benefits has exploded in recent years. It has been shown to help people manage stress, decrease anxiety, and get better sleep. In addition to personal reports, technological advances have improved our ability to track the impact of meditation on the brain’s structure and functioning. The enthusiasm stirred up by …

by Hilary Hart In America, freedom is a core value, a north star in our collective compass. But this land of the free also has the highest rate of incarceration in the world.1 “More than 2.2 million people—one in every 107 adults—are in prison or jail,” says Fleet Maull, founder of the Prison Mindfulness Institute.2 “We think of ourselves as a …

For many of us, the Internet represents the pinnacle of distraction. But it we don’t have to encounter it that way. This article from The Atlantic talks about simple ways to build effective mindfulness practice into the experience of surfing the Net. Every tiny action that you take in a day is an opportunity to be mindful. Drinking coffee. Brushing …

by Jessica Graham Let me start with this. I like porn. I do not believe that someone who is spiritual can’t also enjoy porn. Of course all porn is not created equal. It’s important to know where your porn comes from and how it is made. There is no black and white in life, it’s all gray area. It’s our …

by Jessica Graham Awakening will destroy your life. Whatever you think is yours to claim, will fall away. The self that has been driving you to do better, push harder, and succeed more grandly than the last time, will burn away to a sprinkling of ashes. But from that smokey rubble will arise a new understanding of success. A success …

by Michael W. Taft Mille viae ducunt homines per saecula Romam hen I started meditating in my teens, I believed in Enlightenment. I was going to get to the Big E, which involved having certain mind-blowing experiences. You’d see the Light, or God would open her kimono, or whatever, and after that you’d glow in the dark. I was super …

I’m excited to let you know that I’ve put together a special excerpt from my bestselling book The Mindful Geek. I think it will really help you when it comes to coping with difficult emotions. It talks about the evolutionary background of emotions, where they come from, and what they’re for, and how to deal with them. Most importantly, I …

by Jessica Graham There are certain defining moments throughout spiritual development. When you first recognize that you are not your thoughts. When you experience physical or emotional pain break up into flowing sensations that are no longer “bad,” therefore revolutionizing your relationship with pain. When you fully grasp the truth that suffering is optional. When you come to know oneness—not …

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